Adding copper to the boil

Not sure if this is the correct category for this but I was reading the book "Brew Ware" by Stevens, and Mosher and they mentioned copper as being a yeast nutrient and suggested cutting a small peice of copper tubing and throwing it into your boil kettle with the wort. I guess this makes sense considering most traditional breweries have/had copper kettles. Just wondering if anyone actually does this on a regular basis. Thought I'd give it a try next time I come across a small piece of copper.

Dr Fix and Conrad chose copper in the design of the BrewMagic RIMs tube based on this notion which has recently designed out based on tests done to wort for copper levels. It was found that the amount of copper leeched into the wort from such a small amount of contact was near inexistant.

It would be interesting to read if the much larger vessels (used in commercial breweries) had anything to do with the copper leaching or if the mechanical actions were supportive. Also, it would be interesting to read if a chunk of copper in the ferementer would have any benifit.

Until then, I "think" yeast Energizer has the trace amounts of copper and Zinc needed.

No, but since I put my copper chiller in the kettle at 15 minutes to sanitize, I'd guess I get plenty.

steinsato said:

Not sure if this is the correct category for this but I was reading the book "Brew Ware" by Stevens, and Mosher and they mentioned copper as being a yeast nutrient and suggested cutting a small peice of copper tubing and throwing it into your boil kettle with the wort. I guess this makes sense considering most traditional breweries have/had copper kettles. Just wondering if anyone actually does this on a regular basis. Thought I'd give it a try next time I come across a small piece of copper.

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I have an infamous copper rod that I have thrown in every boil for the last 10 years. It looks like hell, don't know if it really adds much, but I have always done it. It certainly wont hurt a thing.

I have a 2" length of 1"dia copper pipe that I always keep in my hanging hop bag ( Lil' Sparky type). Keeps the bag down (evolving gas wants to make it float).

BTW, copper in the fermenter is a big no-no according to Palmer.

Good point David, I guess I already do this as well. I throw my wort chiller into the boil with 5-10 minutes to go to sanitize it. I hadn't even considered that.

From what I've heard, copper in the boil = good, and copper post boil = bad. No copper coils for those jockey boxes, good sirs.

I have thought about putting my chiller in once the boil starts

I currently use a copper IC, and my dip tube is going to be copper when I get the faucet on the BK, so I think I have the copper covered. The yeast always seems to do fine, anyway.

I add a one inch piece of 3/4 inch copper pipe to the boil every time. My IC is SS.